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<title>The Nightmare Coven of DREAMers by 2DOT5UNGS</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27528814">The Nightmare Coven of DREAMers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/2DOT5UNGS/pseuds/2DOT5UNGS'>2DOT5UNGS</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:53:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27528814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/2DOT5UNGS/pseuds/2DOT5UNGS</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. And So It Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Renjun doesn’t remember much (or any) of his life from before he turned up on the doorstep of an elderly couple he had never met. He remembers that day clearly: March 22, 2018, the day before his 19th birthday. He woke up as if from a long nap on a porch that had a gentle-looking cat seated on its bed. After standing there for a while, the door opened.</p>
<p>“What are you doing on my porch?!”, the lady startled. She looked around, squinting her eyes to see if this was some sort of prank. Renjun explained as calmly as he could that he didn’t know where he was. He knew his name, age, favorite color, where he had been born… But not his parents. No siblings, no aunts or uncles, no grandparents, not even a pet. The lady sighed.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you stay with me until my husband gets home? He might be able to help”. </p>
<p>So he wanted for a few hours, tidying up the quaint home as a thank you for being allowed to stay for so long. When her husband returned, he was surprised to see this young man cleaning while the wife cooked.</p>
<p>“Who’s this?”, the husband asked warily, most likely not in the mood for a long-winded conversation about this mystery boy.</p>
<p>“Hello, sir! I’m Renjun, Huang Ren-”</p>
<p>“Ah! You’re Chinese, yes? At least, I’d hope so with a name like yours.”</p>
<p>“Yes”, Renjun responded, slightly caught off guard but mostly pleased that he got to speak his native tongue. “Yes, I am.”</p>
<p>This started the conversation perfectly. He switched between languages while filling them in on what he remembered and all that he couldn’t remember. The husband Mr. Park, was kinder than he first thought. Renjun was allowed to stay but, he had to test for his grade level in school, get new clothes than didn’t smell like wet grass, and he had to get a job so he could help pay for college. There was also one more thing, something Renjun didn’t want to do but had to.</p>
<p>He had to get therapy. Why? Well, according to Mrs. Park, who used to be a psychiatrist before her retirement, Renjun could’ve possibly forgotten everything about his family due to some unresolved trauma. Renjun felt fine but, alas, he didn’t want to leave the comfort of his newfound home. And so he agreed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Years later, a little over two years, Renjun, 21, was now in college. He had been a stellar student in his (singular) year of high school and had quickly moved on and grown accustomed to college. He was rooming with a boy his age (but slightly younger) by the name of Liu Yangyang and it was nice to have someone who understood Chinese as a friend in such an overwhelmingly large place. Yangyang had lots of friends. All of them were older but, they were cool. Renjun kept to himself most of the time, although the Parks would always tell him not to. To Renjun, his greatest friend was, in fact, himself. Well himself and his sketchbooks.</p>
<p>Renjun had picked up art after the therapist told him that it might help him rediscover himself but, all he discovered is that he could draw pretty damn well. He took pride in it and that’s how he came here, to this stellar university on a full-ride scholarship. It was beautiful; It had so many restaurants and museums and stores and parks and galleries (he uses “and” a lot when he gets excited, he had come to learn about himself). But, his favorite thing of all, it was one of the safest universities in all of Asia.</p>
<p>Or at least that was what he had been told. He didn’t feel very safe now. He felt eyes on him as he walked down the dark alleyway. He cursed himself for not leaving sooner but...he really needed the studio that day and, he got the last slot on purpose so he could take his time on his painting. </p>
<p>“Stupid Renjun”, he thought to himself. Now he was here.</p>
<p>He sped up, desperately power-walking towards the light at the end of the alley. He was close! He could make it! Just a little bit further and...! And... Oh god. Someone was laying on the ground. They must be hurt...</p>
<p>“Hey, are you ok-”</p>
<p>Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him but, before he could react, his hands were pinned behind his back. There was a shadow over him. It was closing in. The shadow became the silhouette of a person. The silhouette’s hand was outstretched, holding a towel with a strange liquid on it. It was glowing a faint blue in the darkness that surrounded him. The towel was brought to Renjun’s face and he tried his damndest to not breathe. But panic spread over him, and he could no longer hold his breath. He gulped in the scent of the towel.</p>
<p> It was sickeningly sweet. </p>
<p>He felt...dizzy. </p>
<p>He felt... </p>
<p>He felt...</p>
<p>He...</p>
<p>Renjun passed out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please...stop asking me. No: we can’t stop for ice cream.” The deep voice reached Renjun’s ears in a sort of fuzzy manner as if muffled. It was dark, he noted. But they were moving...so…? He was blindfolded, or something.</p>
<p>“But whyyyyy?”. This second voice was clearer, still deep but with a child-like edge to it.</p>
<p>“Um… because of the person we have in the backseat?” The third voice was calm and almost kind sounding (though Renjun highly doubted that this person could be kind if they were so casual about his literal kidnapping). “Speaking of him…”</p>
<p>The darkness that had surrounded him was lifted. He was face to face with a...kid? With cat-like eyes and a notably large head. His face didn’t match the voice he had heard so he was confused.</p>
<p>“You’re awake.” Renjun turned to the sound of the third voice. He took a good look at him. Black hair, black hoodie, glasses, and a hat. He had a mole near his left eye, which like the right, was partially closed due to the wide smile that adorned the man’s face (Those are some straight ass teeth, Renjun thought to himself). “Hello, Renjun. We’ve missed you so much”.</p>
<p>Renjun stuttered in confusion.<br/>
“I- I- uh…. I don’t know you… Any of you”. He decided to just stop talking. His kidnappers seemed...sullen? Was he supposed to know them?</p>
<p>“You will know all...in due time”. A new voice came from the passenger’s seat. It was nasally and slightly high-pitched. Very different from the voices he had heard before.</p>
<p>“Haech! Stop trying to be all...deep… I promise you: nobody cares!”, the kid with the cat-like eyes and big-ass head interjected. This earned a laugh from the passengers and a whine from the passenger’s seat.</p>
<p>“I’ll crash the car. Right. Now. don’t play with me.” The person he now knew as “Haech” said.</p>
<p>As if by magic, the car swerved slightly.</p>
<p>“Aye. Aye! Don’t do that!”, the person in the driver seat (and the one who said they couldn’t stop for ice cream… boo. Wait. Why is he upset about that?). “We can’t have Renjun dying on us”.</p>
<p>Haech quietly muttered a ‘Yes, Nana”, before slumping in his seat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Welcome Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>short chapter because I'm lazy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Welcome home, Renjun!”, Nana said. Renjun was shocked, to say the least.</p><p> </p><p>Well, who wouldn’t be? He was stood in front of this rundown home- Actually…? Could this be considered a home? This doesn’t seem safe for living. There were boards hanging off a grand door that had a broken knocker. The house was browned and grayed, almost abandoned-looking except for a light coming through the terribly shaped door.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going in there”. Renjun deadpanned. </p><p> </p><p>“Just step closer to it”, the man he now knew was Jen-Jen (they had gone over their names for him so he didn’t have to motion at people to get their attention) said calmly. “I need you to trust me on this,”. Renjun was floored.</p><p> </p><p>“Trust you? <strong>TRUST YOU</strong>? You kidnapped me! Took me from my home-”</p><p> </p><p>“This is your home! Now shut up and step closer!” LeLe shouted in annoyance. Renjun almost yelled back but he stumbled towards the house on accident and felt a warmth spread through him.</p><p> </p><p>The house wasn’t a house anymore. Rather, it was a castle-type mansion. Grand and beautiful. It was a clean white color that almost glowed- No wait, it was glowing. It was a warm glow that surrounded him and his friends- Wait...Friends? Where did that come from? He didn't know these people but.... But he felt safe. Maybe LeLe was right...This. This is home. He's home. He's finally home with his friends, no, <em>family. </em>He shook his head swiftly. No he was going crazy. Mr. and Mrs. Park were his parents. He had them for family. Not these weird, overly friendly people thieves. And the house was old and gross and probably haunted or something (He also uses "and" a lot when he's scared). And yet...the mansion was still there. </p><p> </p><p>He ran up to the white door. It glowed a bright gold and opened before him. He took one step into the home. Only one.</p><p> </p><p>He was suddenly hit with some wave of information he had never felt before. He turned and looked at LeLe with teary eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"Chenle"? <span>Chenle gasped and the group went silent. The wind from the open front door howled around them,</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You-”, Nana paused. “You remember his name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Renjun nodded before sighing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But only his”.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Let's Get to Work!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After Renjun got settled in his new- wait, no. Not new. Just his home. After he got resettled in his home, he walked out to see Haech and Sung looking at him bewilderedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?”, Renjun said, trying to sound as casually as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t seem very…”, Haech paused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Scared? Worried? Uncomfortable?”, Sung filled in for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… exactly”, Haech sighed. He tilted his head before sighing again. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing but we were expecting to have to calm you down to keep you here...guess not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Renjun shrugged and looked down.  “I feel...oddly safe here. Like I’m finally where I belong. With the right people. I think”. Renjun looked up and was greeted with two very soft smiles. He smiled back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re kinda weird, Renjun.” Sung quipped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘I’m weird? You guys kidnap people!”, he said with a roll of his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, we don’t!” Haech retorted. “Only one person...you!”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, like I said: Weird”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Renjun!”, Nana called. “C’mere. We need to get to work!”. Renjun pouted. He’s being put to work after all of this? This place </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucks.</span>
  </em>
</p>
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